Matthew McConaughey & Ken Watanabe Join Gus Van Sant’s ‘Sea Of Trees’

By
Kevin Jagernauth
|
The PlaylistFebruary 4, 2014 at 7:59PM

The McConaissance continues! But perhaps we should stop being surprised at the choices Matthew McConaughey is making and just accept that he's no longer the shirtless himbo you thought he was. Now focused on interesting work with top tier talent, even when the actor has gone for a blockbuster, it's been with Christopher Nolan on his forthcoming "Interstellar." But his next move once again finds McConaughey choosing something small and potentially great.

The McConaissance continues! But perhaps we should stop being surprised at the choices Matthew McConaughey is making and just accept that he's no longer the shirtless himbo you thought he was. Now focused on interesting work with top tier talent, even when the actor has gone for a blockbuster, it's been with Christopher Nolan on his forthcoming "Interstellar." But his next move once again finds McConaughey choosing something small and potentially great.

The Wrap reports that McConaughey and Ken Watanabe have joined Gus Van Sant's "Sea Of Trees." The project first bubbled up to our attention when it was reported in December that Joaquin Phoenix was taking an interest, and, as much as we like him, McConaughey will do just fine. Anyway, the project is a promising one, with the script by Chris Sparling ("Buried," "ATM") landing on the 2013 Black List and telling the story of an American man taking a journey into the infamous “Suicide Forest” at the foothills of Mount Fuji with the intention of taking his own life. When he is interrupted by a Japanese man who has had second thoughts about his own suicide and is trying to find his way out of the forest, the two begin a journey of reflection and survival.

No word yet on when production will begin, but this will be Van Sant's next film. All right, all right, all right...